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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Alzheimer's Day at Walmart

Sunday, my sister-in-law Ginger and
I spent a good part of the day at Walmart collecting for the Sedalia Walk to
End Alzheimer’s. Our walk was in September, but since we fell short of our
goal, we were trying to get a few more donations and “meet and greet” the
shoppers.

We’ve set up outside Walmart several
different times, but it’s usually during the heat of summer. In fact, we have a
real talent for choosing the hottest day of the year. This was a first for me—I
wore a sweater.

The weather was sixty-ish, but the
wind was gusty at times and just a steady strong breeze at others. I lugged the
table to the ideal spot and Ginger and I began our battle with the wind. We
struggled with taping down the tablecloth. As soon as I set the collection jar
on the table, the wind caught it and blew it down the sidewalk. Finally, we had
everything taped or weighted down. We set out T-shirts, books, Dum-Dums for the
kids, and informational brochures.

People couldn’t decide how to dress
for the weather. We saw shorts, flip-flops, children with bare feet, sweaters,
coats, dresses and high heels, boots, and a few who might have made the famous
Walmart photo ops.

The time flew by as people stopped
to donate and share their stories. Many of them have traveled the same journey
as I have.

A young woman told us, “My nana has
it.” Others: “My dad” or “My mom.”Another lady made a donation and said, “Thank God, no one in my family
has Alzheimer’s, but we do have friends that have it.”

One man wheeling a full shopping
cart almost passed us by, but he stopped. “Thank you for doing this,” he said.
“I walked in Tennessee this year.”

I smiled. “Thank you!”

One man came up to us. He reminded
me of Jim because his hat was covered with colorful hatpins. He chatted for a
while, and then he said. “I’ve been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”

The T-shirts were popular items and
I went back to my car several times to replenish the stock. Just as we were
thinking about closing down, a man wearing a suit walked up to us. He made a
donation, and we handed him a T-shirt. “My mother died from Alzheimer’s,” he
said. He looked up at the sky and I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. He
began to talk about her and her faith in a better world. The tears slipped down
his face and he dried them with the T-shirt. He talked about his family
dynamics and the guilt his brother felt for not being there for his mom. As he
wiped tears, he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring you down.”

“Hey, we’ve all been there,” I said.
“Let me give you a hug.”

We hugged in the way that those of
us who have lost loved ones to Alzheimer’s hug to comfort each other. Then, he
hugged Ginger.

As it usually happens when we
fundraise for Alzheimer’s—we find others who know the pain of watching a loved
one fade away with this formidable disease. As always, we share the hope that
the end of Alzheimer’s is nigh.

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Early Onset Alzheimer’s

This award-winning blog is a must-read for individuals experiencing early-onset Alzheimer’s. Less common than standard age-related dementias, early onset Alzheimer’s is virtually always a surprise to diagnosed individuals. Linda Fisher, blogger and author, knows the difficulty of this condition firsthand.

In her Early Onset Alzheimer’s blog, she teaches readers not just how to manage such a frightening condition, but also how to live life to the fullest. Her passion for helping others – showing everyone that life with Alzheimer’s is worth living – is a tremendous gift. Thank you, Linda!

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Early Onset Blog has received several blog awards. Due to new Google regulations, the links had to be removed. Past awards have included the #1 Health Blog , Top 10 blog in 2010, Top 25 Blog award in 2010, and a Top 50 award in 2012. We appreciate the recognition, but also understand the need to remove the links.

I went to sleep around midnight and woke up at 4:00 a.m. I tossed, turned, read, tossed, turned, and read some more. Finally more than t...

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Fisher began her online journal to share her experiences with families affected by early onset dementia. Her essays provide insight into family life often from a humorous viewpoint. She writes from her experiences as a longtime Alzheimer's Association volunteer and advocate and ten years as a primary caregiver for her husband, Jim.

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I have participated in a link exchange with the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation. They have this blog http://earlyonset.blogspot.com/ listed in their Alzheimer's blogs.

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Thank you, Lindsay, for your kind words and for including the Early Onset Blog on your website.